Season 2, Episode 9Guest: Damien Lehfeldt — Chair, USA Fencing Board of Directors; Coach, Nova Fencing ClubWhat we coverOrigin story: three decades in fencing—community first, results secondCoaching during the Great Recession; mentoring as purposeMaking fencing simpler: free articles, open-source resources, data toolsWhy run for the Board? Giving back and building on post-Tokyo momentumBeing elected chair: peers’ trust and the responsibility that comes with itGovernance vs. operations, in plain English:Board = GPS (strategy, oversight, risk)Staff/CEO = Driver (events, execution, day-to-day)Concrete example (Summer Nationals): board sets KPIs; staff builds the experience (merch, flow, logistics)The 2024–28 Strategic Plan: membership, clubs, brand, referees—and a clear push for parafencingParafencing pipeline: more athletes and coaches now to compete for medals at LA28Working with the CEO: frequent communication, healthy disagreement, shared transparency (monthly updates, “5 Minutes with Phil”)Governance Task Force proposals: scaling with growth and the 4-4-4 model (four elected at-large, four appointed—including two independents—to add outside expertise, four athlete reps)Why independents matter: challenge “we’ve always done it this way,” add boardcraft and industry experienceWhat success looks like for Damien’s term: deliver the plan—growth, equity, sustainable governance
--First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA FencingHost: Bryan WendellCover art: Manna CreationsTheme music: Brian Sanyshyn

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